National flag to fly at half-mast on Monday to mourn NZ attack killings: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD, Mar 17 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said the national flag would fly at half-mast on Monday to mourn the killing of 50 people, including nine Pakistani nationals, in Friday’s deadly attack at two mosques in New Zealand’s Christchurch city.
Addressing a news conference here, the foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan took the decision regarding the national flag to fly at half-mast at all the national buildings.
The prime minister also announced to posthumously confer national award on martyred Mian Naeem Rashid on Pakistan Day (March 23) to recognize his courage as he tried to overpower the white supremacist terrorist to save others from his killing spree.
The foreign minister said that nine Pakistani nationals had been confirmed martyred in the deadly incident with one more being in critical condition and treated at hospital. Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner in New Zealand Moazam Shah was in contact with his family, he added.
Qureshi said the government was also in contact with the families of those martyred in the Christchurch attack here in Pakistan.
He said Member of the National Assemnly Ali Khan Jadoon was in contact with the family of Naeem Rashid in Abbottabad while another parliamentarian was assisting the grieving families in Karachi. Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also visited the family of a victim in Islamabad, he added.
The foreign minister said during telephonic conversation with his Turkish counterpart, it has been decided to convene an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on March 22 in Istanbul.
He said Turkey being the chair of the OIC floated the idea of convening the session and Pakistan seconded it. The meeting would express solidarity with the New Zealand attack victims, besides mulling to devise a strategy to address the root causes of growing Islamophobia in the West and its implications for the Muslims around the world.
Qureshi said in telephonic conversation with New Zealand’s foreign minister, the latter told that the identification of bodies had been completed and the process of their handing over to respective families would begin on Monday.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Zealand was extending all out support to the affected Pakistani nationals, he added.
He said the families of six martyred Pakistanis wanted to bury their dear ones in New Zealand while those of the rest three desired to bring the bodies back to Pakistan.
To a question, Qureshi said he would write a letter to all the parliamentary leaders to take them into confidence on the implementation of National Action Plan.
He said the leaders would be invited for a meeting on March 28 at the Parliament House to seek their opinions and guidance to move forward in the backdrop of the Pulwama incident.
He said he held telephonic contacts with Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, who had assured their cooperation on all issues of national interest and security.
The foreign minister said he was scheduled to leave for China on Sunday night to attend the Pak-China Strategic Dialogue.
To a question, he said China had once again proved to be a sincere friend by supporting Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council in the recently held meeting.
During his China visit, he said further consultation would be held with the Chinese leadership to discuss the future strategy on the regional situation.